PESHAWAR – The recent wave of floods triggered by heavy rains and cloud bursts has caused unprecedented destruction to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s irrigation system, inflicting damages worth Rs102.64 billion, according to a detailed report released by the provincial Irrigation Department.
The report highlights that Charsadda was the hardest-hit district, suffering irrigation losses of Rs1.71 billion. Floodwaters breached embankments along the Swat and Kabul rivers, devastating canals and watercourses. Nearly six kilometers of protective dykes and retaining walls were swept away.
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In Battagram, the damage was recorded at Rs1.68 billion, where multiple flood protection embankments collapsed, leaving farmland irrigation systems severely impaired. Similarly, Mansehra sustained losses of Rs1.42 billion, while in Shangla, canals and flood barriers were damaged, costing an estimated Rs1.12 billion.
The report further states that in Abbottabad, a major flood protection wall was washed away, resulting in losses of over Rs430 million. Bajaur also witnessed large-scale destruction, with protective embankments collapsing and irrigation systems ruined, causing damages worth Rs399 million.
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In Buner, canals and flood protection walls suffered damages worth Rs93 million, while Dera Ismail Khan recorded losses of Rs609 million to its irrigation infrastructure. Bannu was comparatively less affected, but still incurred damages of Rs30 million.
The department noted that both irrigation channels supplying water to fields and civil irrigation canals were heavily impacted across several districts, jeopardizing agricultural productivity in the coming months.
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Authorities have warned that restoring the irrigation network will require massive financial resources and immediate intervention to prevent further losses to agriculture and local communities.
This official assessment underscores the severity of flood damage in northern districts, with experts stressing the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure to mitigate future disasters.
